Today British Sea Power released the second video from their latest album, Do You Like Rock Music? for their song “No Lucifer.” Bassist/singer Hamilton filmed it using his bandmates and his extensive collection of puppets of various origin. I find the results both creepy and inspiring. Not as epic as my favorite of their videos, but certainly worth the celluloid and a couple minutes of your time. Do You Like Rock Music? is available on these shores on February 12th, and surpassed their last album by leaps and bounds. And I’m not just saying that because they sent me a matching three-button set (Though it don’t hoit.)

BSP is on tour starting in western Europe on the 10th and hitting US shores on February 25th. Tour Dates after the jump. (more…)

When we found Video Matt aka Matt Wilson at the local troubled teen shelter [actually it was Butte College, but close enough] he had been on the grind for a minute, setting up interviews with bands and filming live footage totally guerrilla style, working with bands like Paramore and Dance Gavin Dance and repping Gridley, CA like a motherfucker. Since no one else at Synthesis even knew how to turn on a video camera, let alone had the balls to stand in front of it, we immediately hired Matt to be our guru of all things video, allowing him to slay 234 times more tang on YouTube and in the process, giving him a chance to work with most of his all time favorite bands, including New Found Glory, Cartel, Jacks Mannequin and Danger Radio to name a few; get super hammered at SXSW before even turning 21, and learn all about industry rule #4080. Check out our YouTube page for all sorts of Video Matt madness and be sure to hit your boy up on the comments, maybe he’ll holla next time he’s kicking it at The Boardwalk, nahmean?

I seriously can not stop watching this video. Super Furry Animals‘ “The Gift That keeps Giving” is on some mellow psychedelia, but about 2/3 of the way through is where the subversive, irreverent humor kicks in. Tears still well up at about 2:00… Their new album Hey Venus! is ill. I would write more, but I actually just want to watch the video again.

Stream their albums here. US tour Dates after the jump.

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It’s been a big day in Tennessee, what with the devastating tornadoes and the announcement of Bonnaroo’s 08 lineup. And you thought Bonnaroo was supposed to be some sort of hippie fest…. Pearl Jam and Metallica headline.

Rumor: Led Zeppelin will play Bonnaroo

The Truth: Kinda sorta not really. Aging Rock God Robert Plant will be playing with Allison Krause, and the all female Zep tribute band Lez Zeppelin will be performing as well.

Rumor: Bonnaroo is now a metal festival.
The Truth: Kinda sorta not really. Metallica IS one of the headlining acts, and The Sword and Mastodon are also on board, but the whole lineup is spread pretty evenly across genre lines, from hip-hop to reggae to jam to indie rock to electroclash dance…whatever with Coachella, Bonnaroo is gonna be where it’s at.

Rumor: This Festival Will Change Your Life.
The Truth: That’s not a real rumor. Although Iron & Wine and Death Cab are on board.

June 12-15, 2008 in Manchester, Tennessee. You can look at their pretty poster here, but I thought it would be handy to type out all the confirmed performers so far, and I did so after the jump. (more…)

Since the theme of this blog lately seems to be recurring features ( see Band of the Day, The Next, et al )I figured I’d add to the fray with one of my very own: MEET THE SYNTHESIS, will introduce you, the loyal blog reader, to some of the great minds behind the words and images you see on this stupid web site, and some of the rad things they do outside of their roles at the unstoppable internet juggernaut that is SYNTHESIS.

We’ve worked with a lot of badass photographers over the years here at ol’ Synthesis. But Harland Spinks is definitely one of the most BA. Besides just taking amazing pictures of bands and totally croosh local dance parties, he also is very adept at taking pictures of his own statuesque figure and stern-yet-inviting countenance. Check out his shit over at Flickr and holler at him to shoot your shitty band when you come through NorCal.